Monday, April 19, 2010
4-10

Genetic transformation of marine diatom, Navicula sp. JPCC DA0580

Tsuyoshi Tanaka1, Hiroshi Sugiyama1, Masaki Muto1, Yoshiaki Maeda1, Mitsufumi Matsumoto2, and Tadashi Matsunaga1. (1) Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, 184-8588, Japan, (2) Biotechnology Laboratory, Technology Development Center, Wakamatsu Research Institute, 1, Yanagasaki, Wakamatsu,, Kitakyusyu, 808-0111, Japan

Diatoms are a widespread group of eukaryotic microalagae in freshwater and marine environments, and are main contributors to the global carbon cycling. They have been attracting attention as a source of biodiesel, as well as other microalgal groups. Our research group has launched the selection of marine microalgae with high neutral lipid content from marine microalgal culture collection in our laboratories. A marine diatom, strain JPCC DA0580, which was tentatively identified as Navicula sp., was selected from 1393 strains of marine microalgae as a promising resource that can grow as dominant species in the open ocean toward biodiesel production. However, until now, little information was obtained for genetic transformation of Navicula sp, although limited diatom groups, such as Thalassiosira pseudonana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, have been intensively focused on the development of genetic transformation. In this study, the genetic transformation of marine diatom, Navicula sp. strain DA0580 by microparticle bombardment was examined. The neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) gene was used as a marker gene. Furthermore, the activities of several promoters, including fucoxanthin, chlorophyll a/c-binding protein gene (fcp) promoter or viral promoters, were investigated in the genetic transformation of Navicula sp. DA0580.

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